By Henry Umoru, Assistant Political Editor

THE  National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday granted waiver to former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to seek for the party’s governorship ticket ahead of the October 11 governorship polls in Adamawa State.

This came after days of political intrigues and extensive deliberations on the issue.

Indeed, the National Working Committee, NWC unanimously cleared all aspirants, who purchased expression of interest and nomination forms to contest for the party’s ticket.

With this clean bill of health, Ribadu, the 2011, presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) will now participate with other aspirants  in the September 6 primary election for the emergence of the PDP’s candidate.

Also, the  Adamawa State PDP Governorship Waiver Panel which has the  PDP National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha as chairman, granted former  Military Administrator of Lagos and Borno states, Brig. General Mohammed  Buba Marwa and 2011 ACN Governorship candidate for Adamawa State, Marcus Gundiri waivers to participate fully in the exercise.

Meanwhile, former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu  is heading the Screening Committee of the PDP that will today screen Ribadu and other governorship aspirants on the party’s platform.

Disclosing this to Saturday Vanguard yesterday, PDP National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha said that screening committee is made up of five members.

Meanwhile, as the screening Committee screens the aspirants today, a group under the aegis, Concerned youths for good governance in Adamawa state has written to the panel, asking for the disqualification of Acting Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, over allegations that he belongs to the All Progressives Congress, APC and not PDP.

But reacting to the allegation through his Chief Press Secretary, Solomon Kumangar, the acting  governor who noted that those raising the allegations were afraid of him, describing the  petition as spurious and lacking in substance.

Briefing journalists at the end of the NWC  meeting at Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh who disclosed that the  decision of the party to grant  waiver to Ribadu,  Marwa and Gundiri  was in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution.

“About the application for waiver by three aspirants in Adamawa State gubernatorial election, the NWC at the end of its meeting on Friday August 29, 2014 debated the issue of this clearance prior to this, we had set up a committee led by the national organizing secretary to look into the application and make recommendations to the NWC accordingly. We don’t have problems on the issue of this waiver, we are completely unanimous in our decision.

Washing its hands off the primary, the party while urging the aspirants to go to the field, meet with the people of Adamawa State as it was entirely a state affair and not that of the National leadership of PDP, said, “The question of whether they will be the candidate of the party is entirely left for the members of PDP in Adamawa State.

“The leadership of the party at the national level will not be involved and we are not in support of any candidate and will not interfere with the process. It is going to be a free, fair and open process. Whoever wants to be the governor of Adamawa; old or new will accordingly go and convince the members of the party in Adamawa, let the people support whoever is the best candidate.”